Forwarding video-on-demand flow

Abstract

Provided are a method and a device for forwarding a video-on-demand flow, which may be applied to a network with virtualization of network functions. In an example of the method, for a Virtual Broadband Remote Access Server (vBRAS) Service Orchestrator (vBRASSO) managing at least one vBRAS in a vBRAS resource pool in the network with virtualization of network functions, if a particular vBRAS completes user authentication, the vBRASSO determines a Point Of Presence (POP) switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the user based on the user information from the vBRAS, and notifies the POP switch of a route for forwarding the video-on-demand flow to the user in such a way that the POP switch advertises the route to a core router configured to receive the video-on-demand flow from a video-playing source in the network with virtualization of network functions.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of forwarding a video-on-demand flow, comprising:
 receiving, by a Virtual Broadband Remote Access Server vBRAS Service Orchestrator vBRASSO in a network with virtualization of network functions, user information from a vBRAS in a vBRAS resource pool, wherein the user information is user information of a first user successfully authenticated on the vBRAS; 
 determining, by the vBRASSO, a first Point Of Presence POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the first user based on the user information; 
 notifying, by the vBRASSO, the first POP switch of a route for forwarding the video-on-demand flow to the first user in such a way that the first POP switch advertises the route to a Core Router CR in the network with virtualization of network functions, wherein the CR is configured to receive the video-on-demand flow from a video-playing source, 
 sending, by the vBRASSO, a forwarding entry to the first POP switch, 
 wherein the forwarding entry comprises:
 a matching item in which a destination IP address of the video-on-demand flow is an IP address in the user information, 
 an action item in which Ethernet encapsulation is performed for the video-on-demand flow matched with the matching item, and the Ethernet-encapsulated video-on-demand flow is forwarded through a user-side port that is on the first POP switch and matched with a network identifier in the user information, 
 a destination MAC address in the Ethernet encapsulation is an MAC address in the user information, 
 a source MAC address in the Ethernet encapsulation is an MAC address of the first POP switch, and 
 the Ethernet encapsulation further comprises an inner-layer VLAN tag and an outer-layer VLAN tag in the network identifier. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, by the vBRASSO, a flow entry to an Openflow switch in the network with virtualization of network functions, wherein the flow entry is configured to instruct the Openflow switch to send a first user control packet from a second user to the vBRASSO; 
 selecting, by the vBRASSO, a vBRAS for authenticating the second user from the vBRAS resource pool based on a load balancing principle, when the vBRASSO receives the first user control packet sent by the Openflow switch based on the flow entry; 
 forwarding, by the vBRASSO, the first user control packet to the vBRAS for authenticating the second user. 
 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, by the vBRASSO, a VXLAN tunnel configuration to a second POP switch in the network with virtualization of network functions, wherein the VXLAN tunnel configuration is to instruct the second POP switch to establish a VXLAN tunnel with at least one vBRAS in the vBRAS resource pool in such a way that the second POP switch 
 sends a first user control packet from a second user to the at least one vBRAS through the established VXLAN tunnel, and 
 determines a vBRAS for authenticating the second user based on a response of each of the at least one vBRAS to the first user control packet. 
 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein determining the first POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the user based on the user information comprises:
 determining, by the vBRASSO, a POP switch with a network configuration matched with a network identifier in the user information in the network with virtualization of network functions as the first POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the first user; 
 the network identifier comprises: an inner-layer VLAN tag and an outer-layer VLAN tag. 
 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein determining the first POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the user based on the user information comprises:
 determining, by the vBRASSO, a POP switch with a network configuration matched with a VXLAN identifier included in a network identifier in the user information in the network with virtualization of network functions as the first POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the first user; 
 the network identifier further comprises: an inner-layer VLAN tag, and an outer-layer VLAN tag. 
 
     
     
       6. A Virtual Broadband Remote Access Server vBRAS Service Orchestrator vBRASSO in a network with virtualization of network functions, comprising:
 a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing machine-readable instructions; 
 a processor configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to
 receive user information from a vBRAS in a vBRAS resource pool, wherein the user information is user information of a first user successfully authenticated on the vBRAS; 
 determine a first Point Of Presence POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the first user based on the user information; 
 notify the first POP switch of a route for forwarding the video-on-demand flow to the first user in such a way that the first POP switch advertises the route to a Core Router CR in the network with virtualization of network functions, wherein the CR is configured to receive the video-on-demand flow from a video-playing source, 
 send a forwarding entry to the first POP switch, 
 wherein the forwarding entry comprises:
 a matching item in which a destination IP address of the video-on-demand flow is an IP address in the user information, 
 an action item in which Ethernet encapsulation is performed for the video-on-demand flow matched with the matching item, and the Ethernet-encapsulated video-on-demand flow is forwarded through a user-side port that is on the first POP switch and matched with a network identifier in the user information, 
 a destination Media Access Control MAC address in the Ethernet encapsulation is an MAC address in the user information, 
 a source MAC address in the Ethernet encapsulation is an MAC address of the first POP switch, and 
 the Ethernet encapsulation further comprises an inner-layer VLAN tag and an outer-layer VLAN tag in the network identifier. 
 
 
 
     
     
       7. The vBRASSO in a network with virtualization of network functions according to  claim 6 , wherein the processor is further caused by the machine-executable instructions to:
 send a flow entry to an Openflow switch in the network with virtualization of network functions, wherein the flow entry is configured to instruct the Openflow switch to send a first user control packet from a second user to the vBRASSO; 
 select a vBRAS for authenticating the second user from the vBRAS resource pool based on a load balancing principle when receiving the first user control packet sent by the Openflow switch based on the flow entry, and 
 forward the first user control packet to the vBRAS for authenticating the second user. 
 
     
     
       8. The vBRASSO in a network with virtualization of network functions according to  claim 6 , wherein the processor is further caused by the machine-executable instructions to:
 send a VXLAN tunnel configuration to a second POP switch in the network with virtualization of network functions, wherein the VXLAN tunnel configuration is to instruct the second POP switch to establish a VXLAN tunnel with at least one vBRAS in the vBRAS resource pool in such a way that the second POP switch 
 sends a first user control packet from a second user to the at least one vBRAS through the established VXLAN tunnel, and 
 determines a vBRAS for authenticating the second user based on a response of each of the at least one vBRAS to the first user control packet. 
 
     
     
       9. The vBRASSO in a network with virtualization of network functions according to  claim 6 , wherein when determining the first POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the user based on the user information, the processor is caused by the machine-executable instructions to:
 determine a POP switch with a network configuration matched with a network identifier in the user information in the network with virtualization of network functions as the first POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the first user; 
 the network identifier comprises: an inner-layer VLAN tag and an outer-layer VLAN tag. 
 
     
     
       10. The vBRASSO in a network with virtualization of network functions according to  claim 6 , wherein when determining the first POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the user based on the user information, the processor is caused by the machine-executable instructions to:
 determine a POP switch with a network configuration matched with a VXLAN identifier included in a network identifier in the user information in the network with virtualization of network functions as the first POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the first user; 
 the network identifier further comprises: an inner-layer VLAN tag, and an outer-layer VLAN tag. 
 
     
     
       11. A device for forwarding a video-on-demand flow, the device being applied to a Virtual Broadband Remote Access Server vBRAS Service Orchestrator vBRASSO in a network with virtualization of network functions, comprising:
 a processor, and 
 a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing machine-executable instructions executable by the processor, wherein the processor is caused by the machine-executable instructions to:
 receive user information from a vBRAS in a vBRAS resource pool, wherein the user information is user information of a first user successfully authenticated on the vBRAS; 
 determine a first Point Of Presence POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the first user based on the user information; 
 notify the first POP switch of a route for forwarding the video-on-demand flow to the first user in such a way that the first POP switch advertises the route to a Core Router CR in the network with virtualization of network functions, wherein the CR is configured to receive the video-on-demand flow from a video-playing source, 
 send a forwarding entry to the first POP switch, 
 wherein the forwarding entry comprises:
 a matching item in which a destination IP address of the video-on-demand flow is an IP address in the user information, 
 an action item in which Ethernet encapsulation is performed for the video-on-demand flow matched with the matching item, and the Ethernet-encapsulated video-on-demand flow is forwarded through a user-side port that is on the first POP switch and matched with a network identifier in the user information, 
 a destination Media Access Control MAC address in the Ethernet encapsulation is an MAC address in the user information, 
 a source MAC address in the Ethernet encapsulation is an MAC address of the first POP switch, and 
 the Ethernet encapsulation further comprises an inner-layer VLAN tag and an outer-layer VLAN tag in the network identifier. 
 
 
 
     
     
       12. The device according to  claim 11 , wherein the processor is further caused by the machine-executable instructions to:
 send a flow entry to an Openflow switch in the network with virtualization of network functions, wherein the flow entry is configured to instruct the Openflow switch to send a first user control packet from a second user to the vBRASSO; 
 select a vBRAS for authenticating the second user from the vBRAS resource pool based on a load balancing principle when receiving the first user control packet sent by the Openflow switch based on the flow entry, and 
 forward the first user control packet to the vBRAS for authenticating the second user. 
 
     
     
       13. The device according to  claim 11 , wherein the processor is further caused by the machine-executable instructions to:
 send a VXLAN tunnel configuration to a second POP switch in the network with virtualization of network functions, wherein the VXLAN tunnel configuration is to instruct the second POP switch to establish a VXLAN tunnel with at least one vBRAS in the vBRAS resource pool in such a way that the second POP switch 
 sends a first user control packet from a second user to the at least one vBRAS through the established VXLAN tunnel, and 
 determines a vBRAS for authenticating the second user based on a response of each of the at least one vBRAS to the first user control packet. 
 
     
     
       14. The device according to  claim 11 , wherein when determining the first POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the user based on the user information, the processor is caused by the machine-executable instructions to:
 determine a POP switch with a network configuration matched with a network identifier in the user information in the network with virtualization of network functions as the first POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the first user; 
 the network identifier comprises: an inner-layer VLAN tag and an outer-layer VLAN tag. 
 
     
     
       15. The device according to  claim 11 , wherein when determining the first POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the user based on the user information, the processor is caused by the machine-executable instructions to:
 determine a POP switch with a network configuration matched with a VXLAN identifier included in a network identifier in the user information in the network with virtualization of network functions as the first POP switch for forwarding a video-on-demand flow to the first user; 
 the network identifier further comprises: an inner-layer VLAN tag, and an outer-layer VLAN tag.